Representatives form the camp say it was established as a stable, safe and serviced community.

The ACLU wrote an open letter to the city saying in part, “Effective solutions to houselessness don’t focus on simply pushing people out and saying ‘not here,’ over and over again.”

The ACLU is asking people to sign a petition in support of the village saying Portland needs creative solutions to the housing crisis, such as the Village of Hope.

City representatives say parks and natural areas are not appropriate for building homes.

Their statement reads in part, “We have learned from past experience that even well-intentioned, well-run camps draw other campers to the area which the organizers cannot control, causing environmental degradation that squanders previous investments in restoration work.”